Bringing memories to light

A few hints. It has nothing to do with birds, mammals or reptiles. It has nothing to do with the beach, although we spend a significant amount of time on the sand looking for shells and crabs.

It's actually pretty easy. My kids' favorite summer wildlife activity is the same as a lot of kids: catching fireflies.

Andrew, now 6, has enjoyed catching fireflies for a few years now. Will, now almost 3, is appreciating fireflies -- or lightning bugs -- for the first time.

Of course, seeing children look for and chase around fireflies is an enjoyable experience for adults. Not only are we, as adults, appreciating the kids having a blast, but we're also remembering our own experiences chasing fireflies when we were kids. Who doesn't have a firefly memory?

I remember chasing the little guys around in my grandmother's large field near Pittsburgh. I joined about a dozen older brothers and cousins in the festivities and one or two of my relatives actually helped me on rare instances. It's not always easy being the youngest in a large family.

The enjoyment of fireflies comes full circle as we invariably find occasion to enjoy them again as adults. I had largely forgotten about or simply ignored them through my high school, college and young adults years. Only recently when my children started to take notice of them did my appreciation for them get rekindled.

My oldest brother visited last weekend and he bounced around the yard pointing out lightning bugs to Andrew and catching a few himself. Catching the relatively slow-moving bugs was beyond Will, so his role was find them and say, "There's one, Andrew," in an excited voice.

Andrew was busy with everybody telling him where the fireflies were. He hardly had time to look for them himself, but he didn't mind. He seemed the relish the role of catcher. He was great at it, too, as he deftly climbed the hills, instinctively avoiding the bushes and trees as he zeroed on his targets. Andrew also had a gentle touch with the fireflies as he gingerly snagged them with both of his hands so as not to injure the fragile critters.

After about 20 minutes we looked at the jar and the flies were too numerous to count. There was probably somewhere between 30 and 40.

Then came the finale; letting them go. I lifted the tin foil cover and we watched as the fireflies escaped into the safety of the backyard. They usually lit up a few seconds after leaving the jar, getting back to the business at hand. It's important business, too, as fireflies flicker to attract a mate.

To keep it simple, fireflies are able to light up through a process called bioluminescence, which involves a complex chemical reaction between oxygen and other substances in the firefly's abdomen. I'm not a chemist or any other type of scientist, so I don't know a lot more about the process other than the light does not produce heat.

I've read brief explanations to Andrew and I think he's genuinely interesting in learning about them. However, learning how or why a firefly lights up pales in comparison to watching them and catching them on a warm summer night. It also pales in comparison to watching children enjoy their antics.

Fireflies. So much enjoyment and so many memories for such a tiny creature.

What's your firefly memory? Send them to bozclark@earthlink.net and we'll use some of them online or in print.

For the Birds runs Thursdays in The Hour. Chris Bosak can be reached at bozclark@earthlink.net or via his Web site at www.birdsofnewengland.com